Aug 17, Fri

Dr. Tamás Ittzésfounder

Dr. Tamás Ittzés (born in Budapest, Hungary, Sept 20, 1967), leader of the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band. As classical violinist he teaches at the Debrecen University, Hungary. As ragtime and early jazz pianist he plays around the world, mostly with his band, the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band (founded in 1985).

He comes from a musical family. He began to study violin at the age of six and piano two years later. In 1985, he founded the Bohém Ragtime Jazz Band, one of the premier classic jazz bands today. Since 1992 he has organized the International Bohém Ragtime Jazz Festival. Graduated as classical violinist at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest in 1993.

Besides teaching, he maintains a playing career as concert master and chamber musician. He won first prize with his composition Sedalia Rag at the International Scott Joplin Ragtime Composition Contest in the US in 2001 and his band was given the eMeRT-on Prize as the Best Jazzband of The Year in 2003. He got the "Prima Award" in Hungarian Musical Art category in Bács-Kiskun county in 2010. He received his doctorate degree (Doctor of Musical Arts) in 2009 after successfully defending his doctoral dissertation entitled "German Baroque Solo Violin Literature from Biber to Bach - relationship in instrumental technique and composition". His ragtime opera "The Luthers" was premiered at the Miskolc Opera Festival in Hungary. He is chairman of the Kecskemét Jazz Foundation.